By HARLYNE JOKU
NATIONAL Capital District Governor Powes Parkop said yesterday he has no sympathy for West Papuans at Ela Beach seeking asylum in a third country.
Mr Parkop urged the group to abandon their pursuit of seeking asylum and return to 9 Mile where the other members of the West Papuan community have settled themselves for now.
“If they do not heed my request, I will be compelled to direct police to disperse them from Ela Beach soon,” Mr Parkop warned in a statement issued yesterday.
He added the group of West Papuans had not been evicted from the land they occupy at 9 Mile because he and Minister for Trade and Industry Gabriel Kapris stopped the eviction exercise.
“The West Papuans assembling outside UNHCR Office therefore cannot use the excuse of eviction to seek asylum in a third country.
“Those West Papuans are responsible for their own predicament,” Mr Parkop said.
“They connived with Sir Pita Lus to be evicted as apparent as the supporting affidavit they filed in the National Court when I was seeking orders of the court to prevent their eviction prior to my election,” Mr Parkop said.
The governor was reacting to media reports where a representative of Freddy Wairomi, one of the refugees, had described Mr Parkop as a “liar” and said that he (Parkop) was not interested in knowing about their (refugees) problem.
Mr Parkop said the minority group of West Papuans had been planning this “political stunt” for a while and were just using the eviction exercise as an excuse.
“Prior to the attempted eviction, they had been planning to illegally invade some of the foreign embassies in Port Moresby to support their claim for asylum in a third country,” Mr Parkop said.
He added that he stopped the eviction exercise and was ready to assist them settle elsewhere in Port Moresby.
“But I will not and do not support their attempt to seek asylum in a third country as I believe it was not viable,” Mr Parkop said.
The governor said his sympathy and support for the West Papuans’ rights to self-determination and independence was not an unlimited support for any activity West Papuans wish to engage in.
“I am only supporting legitimate acts that promoted the cause of West Papua.
“The action of the asylum seekers at Ela Beach did not support the cause of the West Papuans’ rights to self-determination and independence and therefore, did not have my sympathy and support,” Mr Parkop said.